Transforming Together: Implementation Guide
1 Map and (re)form cross-agency leadership structures. In California, local leaders are required to regularly meet as part of existing state- sponsored or state-funded efforts and initiatives to support the Whole Child, in addition to the explicit engagement requirements from AB 2083. Thus, in naming a leadership group to coordinate the new Ecosystem of Care being created, leaders should first identify, map and connect existing local, county, and regional interagency structures–such as interagency leadership teams, community school teams, Mental Health Commissions, or Accountable Communities for Health–with one another and with parents and youth to form a collective and aligned organizational structure. Specifically: • Identify existing interagency leadership groups already working toward improved whole-child and youth services. Basic functional analysis tools and shared conversations within and across agencies will identify where overlapping efforts and initiatives exist, and where and how they can be reduced and redefined to help advance the work. Tool Spotlight: The Existing Interagency Workgroups resource can help counties map current cross- agency teams, spot duplication, and identify opportunities to consolidate meetings into more coherent structures. • Determine each leadership groups’ purpose, scope, initial objectives, and goals. • Identify participants for the county’s ILT and EAC structure and attend to the meaningful inclusion and participation of youth, families, Tribal experts, and local organizations.
• Invite the various tables/structures, through reporting and advising to the county’s ILT and/or EAC, to identify opportunities and redundancies and increase outcomes for all children and youth. • Evaluate and address the county education office’s unique ILT or EAC representation. County leaders need to adapt the scope of the existing ILT and EAC–or designate new structures–to focus on all youth, not only foster care youth. As these groups adopt and start to act on a broader vision for youth wellbeing, associate superintendents or leads from other parts of the county education agency should join to help design and sustain the work. To effectively build a coordinated and sustainable Ecosystem of Care for all children and youth in California, local leaders can connect and align existing interagency structures rather than continue working in silos (or create new ones). This approach not only fulfills the state’s legal and policy requirements but also leverages current efforts, reduces duplication, and ensures meaningful participation from families, youth, and community partners. By strategically mapping and integrating these leadership groups, counties can create a unified ILT and EAC structure that drives stronger outcomes and delivers on the promise of whole-child support.
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